I dont think he played a tournie last year between the AO and Indian Wells? Good news is he can pick up a shed-load of points at IW

Isn't Dubai before Indian Wells? If it is, I can't remember, Andy played, beating Berdych in the quarters, and Djokovic in the semi's - he outplayed Djokovic for most of the match - and then lost to Federer in the final.

Where's he playing next? His crappy official site has him down for Miami next (although Indian Wells comes before that ), but I thought he usually liked to get a tournament in before that. The ATP site doesn't have him down for Dubai yet.

As for the final, I'm not too bothered. Shame he couldn't get the second set, but he looked hampered by injury. There will be other chances at other Slams, of that I'm sure. The AO looks to belong to Djokovic now, as the French has done to Nadal and Wimbledon did to Federer. I fancy Andy to win Wimbledon this year, which would be very special. I'm so much calmer since he won the USO and I sense that he is too.

Think he's confirmed he's not playing Dubai this year, instead getting more training in the US ahead of the two hard court Masters. As Aileen said, Delray Beach has been rumoured, which is the same week as Dubai.

Think he's confirmed he's not playing Dubai this year, instead getting more training in the US ahead of the two hard court Masters. As Aileen said, Delray Beach has been rumoured, which is the same week as Dubai.

I'll ask again, didn't Andy confirm Delray Beach or have I lost the plot at some point during the AO?

Isn't Dubai before Indian Wells? If it is, I can't remember, Andy played, beating Berdych in the quarters, and Djokovic in the semi's - he outplayed Djokovic for most of the match - and then lost to Federer in the final.

Think he's confirmed he's not playing Dubai this year, instead getting more training in the US ahead of the two hard court Masters. As Aileen said, Delray Beach has been rumoured, which is the same week as Dubai.

As another 500, Memphis might be a better idea, although that's indoor hard.

Am so proud of Andy today, I truly believe that his final was in the semis. He gave everything in that match to beat Fed and he desperately needed to win that match.That win was so so important for himself and his belief in knowing now that in the future he has what it takes to beat RF in a GS.He will have more big matches against Novak in GS finals and he will win some of them. Today he was just a spent force he had nothing left to give he'd given it all in the semis,and at the end of the day I'd much rather he beat RF. I think in the overall scheme of things that win will be more important. We must not forget Novak only had to play DF in the semis easy peasy no competition. If he'd had to play RN and it had been a tough match things may have been different.

I just wanted Andy to beat Federer in the semi and that was THE important match for me. Andy was mentally spent after that match and rightfully so. He's a player who improves gradually. He is never meant to take a quantum leap. And beating Federer in a GS was a part of that gradual improvement. Now he has beaten Nadal twice in GSs, Nole once and Federer once. But I still feel that he has one more task ahead and that is he has to beat Nadal one more time after he comes back and that means he will probably have to sacrifice one more Slam. But after that, he should be on a roll. None of these occasions will be too overwhelming for him ever again.

After the draw came out, there was a very small part of me that had wanted Andy to avoid Fedrere but the other major part of me wanted him to meet with Federer. So when Federer survived Tsonga and set up his semi encounter against Andy, I was glad. It just had to happen and all the signs indicated a win for Andy. For me, that was the final match. Andy did what he was set out to do. His mission was accomplished. Look how rattled the Almighty was. That's because he knows. This wasn't just a regular win by Andy. There is just so much more behind that win. I fully expected Andy to have a mental letdown after that win and while he played better in the 2nd set, it was quite clear to me that he wasn't going to win this match. Even if he had won the first 2 sets, he would have lost the next 3 sets. Anyway, yesterday I had to remind myself quite a few times that we still had a final ahead of us, which was weird, but I just couldn't convince myself in the end that Andy was going to come back to win his final match. The feeling or the believe just wasn't there. So that's why I am really unaffected by this match. But of course Nole makes it very easy for me too. Of course, a loss in a GS final is bound to be a hard loss regardless, but Andy will move on from this loss very quickly. Because he knows deep down inside that he was compromised mentally (and perhaps physically as well) and wasn't able to play his best level and that this wasn't his only chance. There are so many more to come and when they come, he will be able to put away these feelings and opponents with ease.

So all in all, we have a lot, A LOT to gain from this AO. Anyone would be fool not to notice it.

Hm, now there's an article that's open to interpretation. Naughty Mr Harman...

He's right though it is up to the top players to protect themselves from accusation and demand its done properly. For me there is no doubt andys improvement over the last year is down to hard work, practice and mr Lendl. Unfortunately today proved that in a perverse way. I would not however be so confident around 2 of the other top 5. Andy has come out and said its not strict enough where are the others agreeing.?

I don't agree at all that Djokovic was the better player throughout. Sure, Andy was being patient in the first set - note, patient, not passive - but he took his chances when they arose, and was the better player by far in the tie-break for the first. It was split in the second, a couple of chances here and there and the match could have been different. I felt it was only when Djokovic knew Andy was struggling, either physically with the blisters and hamstring injury, or mentally because of fatigue, that he lifted his game to the point where Andy couldn't live with him.

So glad you said that Tjay I am getting cross with the press and media saying he was "crushed" and "thrashed". He wasn't he played well for two and a half sets and as you say unfortunately andys body let him down and Novak took advantage of that. Onwards and upwards Andy.

I just wanted Andy to beat Federer in the semi and that was THE important match for me. Andy was mentally spent after that match and rightfully so. He's a player who improves gradually. He is never meant to take a quantum leap. And beating Federer in a GS was a part of that gradual improvement. Now he has beaten Nadal twice in GSs, Nole once and Federer once. But I still feel that he has one more task ahead and that is he has to beat Nadal one more time after he comes back and that means he will probably have to sacrifice one more Slam. But after that, he should be on a roll. None of these occasions will be too overwhelming for him ever again.

After the draw came out, there was a very small part of me that had wanted Andy to avoid Fedrere but the other major part of me wanted him to meet with Federer. So when Federer survived Tsonga and set up his semi encounter against Andy, I was glad. It just had to happen and all the signs indicated a win for Andy. For me, that was the final match. Andy did what he was set out to do. His mission was accomplished. Look how rattled the Almighty was. That's because he knows. This wasn't just a regular win by Andy. There is just so much more behind that win. I fully expected Andy to have a mental letdown after that win and while he played better in the 2nd set, it was quite clear to me that he wasn't going to win this match. Even if he had won the first 2 sets, he would have lost the next 3 sets. Anyway, yesterday I had to remind myself quite a few times that we still had a final ahead of us, which was weird, but I just couldn't convince myself in the end that Andy was going to come back to win his final match. The feeling or the believe just wasn't there. So that's why I am really unaffected by this match. But of course Nole makes it very easy for me too. Of course, a loss in a GS final is bound to be a hard loss regardless, but Andy will move on from this loss very quickly. Because he knows deep down inside that he was compromised mentally (and perhaps physically as well) and wasn't able to play his best level and that this wasn't his only chance. There are so many more to come and when they come, he will be able to put away these feelings and opponents with ease.

So all in all, we have a lot, A LOT to gain from this AO. Anyone would be fool not to notice it.

Fully agree with you, particularly the thought that if Andy had won the first 2 sets, then Djorkovic would have won the next 3. Winning the tournament would have been great, but beating Federer is very important!

Fully agree with you, particularly the thought that if Andy had won the first 2 sets, then Djorkovic would have won the next 3. Winning the tournament would have been great, but beating Federer is very important!

Jeez. Im amazed Andy bothered turning up today since he had no chance anyway according to some of you.

I don't see how Andy has gained lots from this tournament. He beat Joker in 5 sets at the USO and today he lost to the same player in 4 sets. He's not gone backwards but lets not pretend this tournament was a step forward.

Well if that doesn't tell the organisers something, then nothing will, even although it's blindingly obvious.

And Boogers' report is a very fair account of the match.

I'm not too disappointed because I wasn't realistically expecting a Murray win. He's still a work in progress with Lendl, who himself took over a year to win his second Slam, but one thing is certain and that is that Murray's mental fortitude is no longer an issue, and he showed us it again in this match. He must have known by the third set that his blistered feet (can't Adidas do something to make their shoes more wearer friendly?) were going to deny him the pleasure of a win, and that Djokovic would, understandably, take full advantage of the situation, yet he refused to give up despite being in obvious pain, something a tweaked hamstring only added to.

It's being said that Djokovic was the better player throughout but there were definite signs in the early stages of the match that Murray had him rattled - and at least one racket suffered, albeit slightly by Djokovic's standards. The important thing is that Murray now knows he can win a Slam, and with that knowledge, plus the fact that he beat Federer for the first time in one, he can build on this match, taking the positives from it and seeing the negatives in their true perspective. Unlike the aftermath of previous AO final defeats the future looks bright, not bleak.

Jeez. Im amazed Andy bothered turning up today since he had no chance anyway according to some of you.

I don't see how Andy has gained lots from this tournament. He beat Joker in 5 sets at the USO and today he lost to the same player in 4 sets. He's not gone backwards but lets not pretend this tournament was a step forward.

You can't win 'em all, but that doesn't mean you're going backwards. Anyways, from where I'm standing it is always productive when Andy stuffs Federer.

Generally the forum was very positive this morning during the final. There was negativity present, but it was drowned out quickly by our cheering (even if Andy did lose). But there is something I found special about this final, it wasn't because Andy lost or was so close to taking a dominating lead in the 2nd set, it was the lesson I learnt. What's the point in expecting someone to win if you can't give them the positive support they need.